If at first you don't succeed
by LenaCraft
Summary: Why are you doing this? Lisa cried. Jackson glanced over at Lisa with a smirk and responded,Well you know what they say, if at first you don't succeed, try try again.
1. Clean up

**If at first you don't succeed…**

Disclaimer: I do not own any characters from Red Eye, only any original characters that I create.

A/N: Okay, this is the first fanfic I have ever written, so I hope you like it. : )

**Cleaning Up**

Staring down at the sprawled out body of Jackson Rippner Lisa wondered how everything had turned out so wrong. What happened to the kind and charming man that she had meet at the airport? She had been so flattered that a guy like him had expressed so much interest in her. He was the first guy since the incident two years ago that she had actually thought of in a romantic way. He was so sophisticated and proper, now he looked anything but sophisticated with his blood soaked dress shirt.

"Lisa, what exactly happened last night?" Her father gently inquired while placing a comforting arm around her shoulders.

Startled out of her thoughts she turned to face her dad. Lisa knew she needed to tell her father all that had happened, but it just hurt so much to talk about it. Looking down at Jackson all the fear of that night came rushing back at her. The fear of being trapped on the plane and not being able to move or get away. Shaking her head in an attempt to clear it she turned her watery eyes up to meet her father's.

"Daddy, please… I just… I don't know if I can talk about it right now." Tears started streaming down her face. She was surprised that there were any tears left to shed. It seems that all she had been able to do on the plane was cry. She hated people seeing her cry, and Jackson had seen plenty of it. But he had underestimated her because of her tears and thought she was weak. After thrustinga pen in his throat he had slightly changed his perception of that.

"Lisa, honey are you okay? Do you want to go sit down on the couch?" Her father once again prodded while pulling her closer.

Okay, am I okay! I almost got Keefe's family killed, along with putting my dad's life in danger; I was trapped on a flight from hell with a man who terrorized me the whole way. Said man then proceeded to chase me with a knife and threw me down the stairs. Am I okay, what kind of question is that!

Of course she would never say this to her father though, it would only make him worry more. And as for going to sit down in the living room, she knew it sounded illogical, but she felt as though the moment that she left he would spring to his feet and come after her again.

"I'm fine Dad, it's all over now," she said while whipping away the reaming tears, "I should really head over to the Lux and try to straighten things out over there. Cynthia's probably having a heart attack without me."

Before her father could protest the loud blare of a siren filed the room. Well that was quick Lisa thought as the small ambulance pulled itself in front of the house. The ambulance looked a bit different from the other ones that she had seen in her life. It was unusually small and appeared as though the vehicle had been another color and that someone had just painted white over the top of it.

Three EMT's quickly jumped out of the ambulance. Two went straight to Jackson and the other went over to where his dead associate lay. Hesitantly Lisa walked towards the two EMT's that were carefully placing Jackson on a stretcher.

Barely finding her voice Lisa whispered, "Is he going to be alright?"

"Well, he obviously isn't in very good shape," the youngest one crisply remarked without looking up," but I guess being stabbed and shot several times can do that to a guy."

The young EMT then raised his gaze to meet Lisa's and glared up and her. Why would he be angry with her? Before Lisa could ask any further questions Jackson and his associate had already been securely placed on the stretchers and were being loaded in the ambulance.

The same EMT that had glared at Lisa started back towards her and her father. He was about the same height as Lisa and had brown curly hair with dull brown eyes.

"Mrs. Reisert," he said with venom as he stood in front of her, "you're going to have to come to the hospital with us and answer some questions."

Lisa was a bit startled by that statement, she expected being questioned by the police, but why did she need to go to the hospital? Besides she had promised Cynthia that she would be at the Lux.

"I'm sorry, but I'm needed over at the hotel, I believe that the police need to talk to me ov"

"I don't think you understand, you're coming with me" He interrupted grabbing her by the elbow.

" Now wait just a minute, you let my daughter go!"

"Jason!" One of the other EMT's yelled, "Get in quick! The police are almost here!"

With one final glare at Lisa he dropped her arm and sprinted back to the ambulance, jumped in the back and while closing the doors said, "We'll finish this later."

Lisa didn't know what to think. This day just kept getting weirder and weirder.

"Lisa, honey are you okay?" Her father worriedly questioned while grasping her shoulders.

"Dad," she sighed, "I'm fine, but why would they care if the police are coming?"

"I don't know. They all seemed a bit odd." He remarked.

_Ring Ring_! Jumping slightly at the unexpected call Lisa strode over to the counter and grabbed the phone.

"Hello." She said tiredly.

"Lisa, oh my gosh where are you. The police are looking for you, and they keep asking me questions that I don't know you really need to"

"Cynthia, calm down" she interrupted, "I'm on my way right now."

Hanging up the phone Lisa grabbed her purse and keys then walked over to her father.

"Dad I'm heading over to the Lux, the police want to talk to me."

"I'll go with you." he stated and walked over to grab his coat of the rack.

"No dad." She sighed, "The police will be coming here as well; you should stay and try to fill them in as much as you can. If they need me you know where to fine me."

Letting out an exasperated sigh he placed his coat back on the rack and then pulled Lisa into a tight hug. "Just be careful Lisa."

" I will dad." Placing a quick kiss on his check she pulled out of his grasp and headed for her car.

Just as she was pulling out of her driveway the sirens of the police cars announced their presence while racing to her father's house.

"I still can't believe that you just said that to them. Have I told you recently that you are my hero?" Cynthia gushed while linking arms with Lisa.

"Only about a thousand times in last five minutes." Lisa replied laughing. After having the flight from hell it was nice to tell those two off. She never liked them but always had to pretend like she did. It was nice to finally tell them what she thought.

Feeling a light tap on her shoulder Lisa turned and found herself staring up at a very tall police officer.

"Excuse me Miss Reisert, my name is Officer Caldwell. I need to ask you a few questions."

Lisa nodded in compliance; she knew that she would eventually have to repeat the horrific events that had happened.

"Hey Cynthia, I'll give youa call later," she said and disentangle her arm from Cynthia's.

Cynthia nodded and as she was leaving mouthed the words, you are so my hero. Lisa chuckled at her friend's antics then turned back to face the officer.

"If you'll just follow me, then we'll make this as short as possible." Said Officer Caldwell. Yeah right, I'll be lucky if I get out of here in five hours.

Lisa followed the officer into one of their many conference rooms, flipping on the lights as she walked inthen sittingdown across from Officer Caldwell. He looked like he was probably in his late forties with black hair speckled with gray strands. He was extremely tall and had dark brown eyes.

"Okay Miss Reisert, if you could just start by" _RING RING!_

"Excuse me." he said while flipping open his phone. "Caldwell speaking."

"What?" He asked with apprehension in his voice. Lisa's heart started thumping. Something was wrong.

"You're certain... okay… bye."

Regarding Lisa with slight apprehension he asked, "An ambulance came to your father's home before the police arrived, correct?"

"Yes," she stated hesitantly.

"Could you please explain to me exactly what the ambulance looked like?"

Where was he going with this? She wanted desperately to ask him what the matter was, but felt that she should answer his question first. Tucking a stray strand of hair behind her ear in a nervous motion she answered.

"Well, it was a bit smaller then most of the ambulances I've seen, and it looked as though the vehicle was originally a different color and had been painted over. I didn't really get to notice anything else, they left so quickly."

" I see." He said while leaning back in his chair and massaging his temples. Lisa felt like she has just been head butted, again. Her fear that something was wrong had just been confirmed.

"Officer Caldwell," she questioned silently, "what's wrong?" He stopped massaging his temples then slowly raised his gaze to meet hers.

"Mrs. Reisert, the only ambulance that was dispatched to your fathers home arrived with the police. And as you know when the police arrived the two men were gone."

"Officer Caldwell, what exactly are you saying?" She questioned with fear evident in her voice.

"What I am saying Mrs. Reisert," he said while leaning forward in his chair, " is that we have no idea where that ambulance came from. We also have no knowledge as to the where abouts of the man who attacked you."

Lisa gasped and put her hands over her mouth. Shaking her head slightly. No, no it can't be. But it was true, and the next thought she had filled he heart with dread and fear.

Jackson Rippner was still out there.

A/N: I know this chapter doesn't have too much action in it, but I promise that it will get much better. Please review and let me know what you think. Lena : )


	2. Lightning

**If at first you don't succeed… **

Disclaimer: I do not own any characters from Red Eye, only any original characters that I create.

A/N: Thank you so much for reviewing! Also thank you for all of your wonderful suggestions they have helped me so much. Here's the next chapter, hope you like it. Oh, and all of Lisa's thoughts are in italics. Thanks March : )

**Lightning**

"Lux Atlantic this Lisa speaking… yes, we still have availability for the twelfth. How many rooms will you be needing? … Two? Okay. May I ask your name? … Mrs. Flowers an e-mail confirmation will be sent to you within twenty-four hours. Have a nice evening." **Click.**

Sighing Lisa tiredly rested her head on her upturned hand and stared out into the deserted lobby. _Two_ _hours thirty-seven minutes to go. _Stifling a yawn she heaved herself up from her chair and walked over to the coffee machine. The clip of her shoes resonated through the quiet lobby.

After quickly fixing herself a cup she made her way back over to her desk. She couldn't wait to get home take a hot shower and then curl up in bed. That's where she should be now instead of covering the late night shift for Diana.

Lisa hated working late. She always felt so alone and it was tremendously boring. Except for the occasional call the phone lines were mostly dead. _Honestly, who would be calling a hotel at one thirty in the morning?_ But mostly she hated the late shift because that meant she would have to cross the parking lot in the dark and return to her home alone and in the dark. _Which means that He could be lurking anywhere out there and I would probably never see him coming. _

It had been three months since she heard the terrible news that Jackson was still out there. Lisa tried to go on with her life the best that she could and tried not to let her fear keep her from doing the things that she would normally do. Of course this wasn't what her father wanted.

After they had found out about the fake ambulance and Jackson her father had insisted that Lisa come live at home or that he move in with her. After many days of arguing and fighting her father, Officer Caldwell, and herself had finally reached an agreement. Lisa would live at her home by herself, but she would have to call her father every night before she went to bed and when she got up in the morning. Of course this didn't mean that she only talked to her father once a day. Oh no, far from that. On average he called about five times a day plus the two times that she had to call him. _Why do I have to have a father with insomnia? Why couldn't he be like normal fathers that actually slept through the night? _She couldn't remember the last time that she had gotten whole nights sleep without her father calling at some unearthly hour to just "check up on her".

Oh, and there was the other part of the agreement. Some poor police officer that had night duty would occasionally swing by her home to make sure that no suspicious activity was going on. At first Lisa had enjoyed all the attention; it had made her feel safe. Now all she felt was annoyed. Her father was bad enough to deal with, but now for some unknown reason Officer Caldwell had decided to also take on fatherly duties and "check up on her" all the time. _How am I supposed to have a normal life with all this going on? No one even knows for sure if Jackson is alive! _

Taking a sip of her coffee Lisa let out another sigh. Whenever she though of him dead she always felt this little twinge in her heart. Dr. Phil would say it was because she was harboring secret romantic notions towards Jackson. Which is completely ridicules. True, she missed the Jackson whom she had meet while waiting in line, but that wasn't the real Jackson. He was just being charming so that Lisa would drop her guard and trust him. Which she obviously did, for the first time in two years. But make no mistake; if she ever crossed paths with Jackson Rippner again she would not make that same mistake.

Lisa glanced down at her watch and groaned. _Why couldn't time move any faster?_ She cringed as the next thought that hit her. Her father would probably be calling any min…" **RING RING!**

It scared her how well she knew her father, it really did.

Grabbing the cell phone from her purse she flipped it open and said, "hi daddy."

"Hello honey, how is everything going?"

"Everything's going fine." She answered and leaned farther back in her seat. "The hotel is basically dead so I've just been trying to keep myself awake.

"You should get some coffee. It will help keep you alert."

She chuckled at his statement of the obvious. "Yeah it's great stuff, I'm already on my fourth cup. So how are the late night comedy shows?"

"Oh the usual. Just watched a rerun of the Daily Show and Colbert Report."

"Well its sounds like you're having a fun time." She laughingly replied. "Do you have any fun plans this weekend daddy?"

"Well I've got to mow and tidy up the lawn and work more on renovating the house. Why don't you come home and spend the weekend with me?"

Lisa just shook her head. _Was he ever going to give up?_ "Actually daddy Cynthia and I are going to go out shopping then go to dinner tomorrow night."

"Oh I see how it is." He replied with mock hurt in his voice. "You're too old and cool to hang out with your father."

She just laughed once again. "I'll never be to old to hang out with you daddy." **BEEP!  
**  
"Dad, someone it on the other line, probably Officer Caldwell. Can I call you back later?"

"Of course pumpkin. I love you."

"I love you too Daddy. Bye Bye." **CLICK!** _Hm, let's see, I bet it's Officer Caldwell._

"Hello?"

"Lisa this is Officer Caldwell." _Big surprise_.

"Hi, how are you?"

"I'm fine. Lisa listen, I know that you are working the late shift tonight so when you go home just remember to call me if anything looks or feels suspicious. Also remember the pepper spray."

Lisa rolled her eyes. "Officer, shouldn't you be asleep? Don't tell me that you're an insomniac too."

"Lisa, I'm being serious. Just because it's been three months and nothing has happened yet doesn't mean that you're safe."

Cold chills ran up her arms. She knew that she wasn't entirely safe but she just wanted to try and move on with her life.

"I know Officer."

"Lisa, please just be careful."

"Alright, I'll be careful. Good night."

"Good night Lisa." **CLICK.**

_Well let's see how much time has passed._ She thought then looked down at her watch. _What! Only twenty minutes! This night is never going to end._

**Pitter-patter pitter-patter**. Lighting lit up the entire sky and thunder boomed in the distance, but Lisa found the noise of the rain spluttering against her windshield extremely relaxing. She was finally on her way home. Tonight hadn't been as bad as she was expecting, one of the security guards had walked her out to her car so that she wouldn't have to go through the deserted parking lot alone.

_I'm finally home_. She sighed in relief while pulling into her driveway. Turning off the ignition she quickly jumped out of the car and sprinted across her lawn to the patio. The rain was coming down harder then ever and the short distance from her car to the patio had rendered her absolutely drenched.

Her shaky hands rummaged through her purse trying to find the blasted keys. After a minute or two she finally located them, unlocked the door, and stepped into her warm home. Throwing her keys and purse on a nearby table she flipped on the lights, kicked off her high heels (which were killing her feet), and headed to the kitchen.

She was in the middle of making herself a hot cup of coco when everything went dark. _Oh no_, she inwardly groaned. Lisa glanced out the window to see if everyone's power had gone out as well. The entire block was pitch black, not even the streetlights where on. A shudder swept though her body. _It's okay Lisa; it's just the power it will come back on any minute, everything will be fine._ **CRASH!**

_  
That came from upstairs!_ Lisa blindly groped the counter for any possible weapon. Her heart was pounding louder then the roaring thunder. Finally her hand connected with something. It was the rolling pin she had used to make cookies earlier that day. _Well, it's not exactly a knife or pepper spray, but since the pepper spray is I guess this will have to do._ Lisa quickly ducked or rather fell behind her dining room table. _Why did I leave my cell phone in my purse! I should have brought it in here with me!_

Heart still thudding widely she decided that she better make a break for the door, slowly Lisa stood and started across her dark kitchen. Thunder kept crashing with shorter intervals between the last. Lisa's palms were getting sweaty making it increasingly difficult to keep a hold of the rolling pin. With her free hand she felt her way towards the door. Her posture was rigid, ready to strike out at any moment. _Please let no one be in my house,_ she silently pleaded. Tiptoeing out of the kitchen a sudden burst of lightning made everything momentarily visible. It was then that she saw what had caused the crash.

Sighing with relief Lisa carefully walked over to the bottom of the stairs. Her coat rack had crashed to the floor. She slightly loosened her death grip on the rolling pin. The adrenaline was still pumping in her veins, and her heart wouldn't stop racing. Bending down she pick up and righted the coat rack the best that she could in the darkness. _What a relief_. _I could have sworn that the crash came from upstairs oh well_. After righting the coat rack she turned to go back to the kitchen when the house was lit up by another burst of lightning.

Her heart stopped.

Squinting up the stairs in the dim light she was able to se what had caused the crash, and it made her blood run cold.

"Surprised to see me Miss. Reisert? I told you we would finish this later. Didn't you believe me?" The young EMT asked while slowly making his way down the stairs.

Lisa was frozen in place. Of all the scenarios that she had imagined this was definitely not one of them. Regaining her senses she made a dash for the front door.

Lisa could hear him thundering after her. With the rolling pin held tightly in one hand and heart racing madly she grasped the door handle, and turned the knob managing to slightly open the door when a hand shot out from behind her and slammed the door shut.

Whipping around Lisa swung the rolling pin at his head and heard the delightful crack it made upon connection. Swearing loudly the fake EMT grabbed the rolling pin from her and with the other hand shoved her against the door. Lisa was absolutely terrified. In the darkness she could see the blood pouring from his nose, which made her feel slightly better.

Throwing the pin down he grabbed both of her arms and held them above her head while pining her to the door with his body. Lisa started trembling. _What am I going to do? _

Leaning closer the fake EMT whispered, "You're going to pay for that."

Then before she knew what was happening he switched his position grabbing both of Lisa's hands within one of his and promptly punched her in the stomach. Lisa gasped for breath. She would have doubled over in pain if he hadn't been pressed up against her. With his free hand he tangled his fingers in her hair and yanked her face closer to his bloody one.

"Now you're going to be a good little girl," he said menacingly, "and get into my car."

Lisa grit her teeth in pain as he was saying this. She wriggled and squirmed trying to break free from his grasp. All this achieved was pissing him off even more.

Slapping her across the check he growled into her ear. "Don't worry, I won't kill you. I'll let Rippner do that."

Lisa didn't think it was possible but she was even more petrified then she was before. _He's still alive._ Swallowing her fear Lisa reminded herself that she was no ones 'good little girl'. She was going to fight him every step of the way, just like she did with Jackson. Speaking of Jackson she decided to use one of his nifty little tricks. Before the fake EMT knew what hit him Lisa thrust her head forward connecting with his in a brutal head-butt.

He immediately released Lisa, and the moment he did she brought her knee up and hit him where it hurt.

"I'm no ones good little girl." Lisa said while he was doubled over in pain. Lisa threw the front door open and immediately collided with a hard chest. She let out a scream and tried to back away but two strong hands grasped her arms preventing her from fleeing.

"Lisa, Lisa, clam down it's me."

Lisa's head shot up and she found herself staring up into the warm brown eyes of Officer Caldwell. Relief washed over her and she fell against his chest.

"Lisa, what happened? Why is your head bleeding?" He asked pushing her slightly away from himself so that he could better examine her head.

"I was attacked by one of the EMT's that came and got Jackson he's still in my house." Lisa managed to chock out.

"Stay here." Officer Caldwell said as he drew his gun out from its case and pushed the door open wider.

Disobeying his orders Lisa walked over and stood next to Officer Caldwell. Looking inside the house she gasped.

There was no one there.

A/N: I hope you all enjoyed this chapter : ) Lena


	3. Runaway

**If at first you don't succeed…**

Disclaimer: I do not own any characters from Red Eye or anything affiliated with Red Eye.

A/N: Thanks so much to all of you reviewers! Your comments and suggestions help me out a lot. Casidebottom, thanks for helping me with those few grammatical problems. It's true; you really can't see the fault in your own work. : ) To answer the question about when Jackson will appear, very soon. Well here's the next chapter. I hope you enjoy it.

** Runaway**

"So he was doubled over when you threw open the door correct?"

"Yes." Lisa tiredly responded. _Please just let me go home, I'm so tired_. Her father reached out and gently took her hand in a comforting gesture. They had been at the station for so long, all she wanted to do was go to sleep and forget that this whole thing had ever happened. Before the police officer could ask any more redundant questions Officer Caldwell re-entered the small room.

"Thank you Adam." He said nodding to the other officer. "Please stay with Mr. Reisert, and Miss Reisert please come with me."

_This must be serious_, she thought. _He hasn't called me Miss Reisert since the day that we meet_. Lisa apprehensively got to her feet, grabbed her purse, and followed Officer Caldwell out of the room. As the door was closing she could hear her father arguing with the other officer about why he couldn't accompany Lisa.

She followed Officer Caldwell through the busy police station and was surprised at how busy it was. She didn't expect the station to be so busy at 4:30 in the morning. They both remained silent as he led her to some unknown destination.

In that silence Lisa found herself starting to panic as she replayed the events of the night in her mind. _He's still alive, and he's after me. It's not fair; all I want to do is have a normal life! Why can't he just leave me alone? _These thoughts and the question of what was wrong with Officer Caldwell plagued her mind. Lisa was pulled out of her thoughts when Officer Caldwell abruptly stopped in front of an office. The door had the name Caldwell written in dark black ink, which contrasted with the wooden door. Officer Caldwell opened the door and stepped to the side motioning for Lisa to enter first.

This room was nothing like the small-cold- interrogation room that she and her father had been in. This one had a couch, a few chairs, a desk, and lots of posters and pictures on the wall. On the desk there was a picture of a very pretty woman holding a little girl in her arms, both smiling up at the camera. I didn't think that Officer Caldwell had any family. _Must be a sister or something.  
_  
Still silent Officer Caldwell walked over to his Oak desk, opened a draw, and pulled out a blue baseball hat, sunglasses, a gigantic navy pullover, and a pair of jeans. _What on earth is going on? _

"Lisa, I'm going to need you to change into these." He said while holding out the odd clothing to her. "Your current attire stands out to much." _Okay, now I defiantly know something is wrong, but why on earth do I need to change?  
_"What?" Was all she was able to come out with.

"Lisa listen, we could not track down that man that was in your house tonight. And now that he has confirmed that Jackson Rippner is still alive and wanting revenge I've decided that it's too dangerous for you to stay here. After you change I'm taking you away from here to stay with a retired police officer. He's a good friend of mine and is the manager of an apartment complex. I've already contacted him on a secure line and he said it would be fine for you to stay there."

Lisa just stared at him dumfounded._ Leave? To where? For how long? I'm not going to run away! I wont let Jackson ruin my life!  
_  
Officer Caldwell held out the cloths to Lisa again. "Please hurry." He said with urgency in his voice, but Lisa didn't make a move to take the cloths. She hardened her expression and looked up at Officer Caldwell.

"I won't run away." She stated

Officer Caldwell threw the cloths on top of his desk and ran his fingers through his hair in a frustrated manner. "Dang it Lisa!" He shouted. "We don't have time for this! Quit being so stubborn and put the cloths on!" Lisa was taken aback. She had never seen him like this before. What was the big rush, and why did it matter so much to him if she was in danger?

"Officer Caldwell." She said calmly. "I will not put my life on hold because of him. You may never even catch Jackson and his associate. I will not go into hiding for goodness knows how long."

"I know you can't hide forever Lisa." He said frustrated. "I have some people working on those blood samples that we got off of your floor, hopefully they will lead us to who was in your house. I also have a few of my men watching your house, so as soon as anyone tries something we'll catch them." Lisa still regarded Officer Caldwell with defiance in her eyes.

"Please Lisa, just give me two weeks." He silently pleaded. It was his change of behavior more then anything that made Lisa slightly less defiant.

"What about my dad and my job? I can't just pick up and leave." She said skeptically. Officer Caldwell looked at her hopefully.

"Adam will tell your father that you've been taken to a secure location for safe keeping. But he won't tell him where you're going because I'm the only one who knows. As for your job, don't worry about it. I'll take care of it. Now please hurry and go change." He once again pleaded as he picked up the cloths and handed them out to her again.

"But…"

"Lisa!" He interrupted, "We don't have time! Those people are tracking you and we have to go now!"

The fear and desperation in his voice got Lisa going. It was absolutely terrifying to think that something could scare someone like Officer Caldwell. Taking the cloths from him Lisa turned and started for the door, but was stopped when a strong hand griped her shoulder.

"No. I need to go grab a few things you change in here. The blinds are closed and I'll lock the door."  
Officer Caldwell quickly left and as promised locked the door behind him. Lisa struggled to get out her business suit and into the provided cloths a million questions racing through her mind while doing so. _What is he so afraid off? He must know more then what he is telling me. _The urgency, fear, and anger in his voice filled her stomach with dread. The situation must be even worse then she originally thought.

Finally Lisa managed to change into the casual cloths. The jeans were a bit large, but they fit all right. The pullover however was like a tent. Lisa thought she looked extremely foolish, especially with the black dress shoes that she still had on. Placing the baseball cap on she heard a light tap at the door.

"I'm finished." She called out and hurried to unlock the door. Upon opening the door she saw that she was not the only one who had changed cloths. Officer Caldwell was wearing faded boot cut jeans, sneakers and a dark red jacket. Shutting the door behind him he quickly looked Lisa over.

"I think you should put your hair up in the cap, and put the sunglasses on too. We don't want to have any attention drawn to you." He said seriously, Lisa found that last part a bit hard to believe.

"Don't you think that someone wearing sunglasses at about five in the morning is going to look a little suspicious?" She retorted.

Officer Caldwell let out another exasperated sigh. "Just do it Lisa." He commanded.

Lisa was about to argue with him again but decided to do what he said for once. Grudgingly Lisa complied with his demands. Once she was finished he looked her over one more time then nodded in approval. He slipped on a pair of sunglasses too then grabbed his keys of the desk.

"Ready?" He asked

"No." She stubbornly replied.

He gave her a sympathetic look then held the door open for her. Lisa let out a sigh, and picked up her purse that she had placed on the chair while changing. He followed her out of his office, and they started through the busy station once again.

"Well can I at least go say goodbye to my dad real quick?" She asked.

"No, we've already gone over this, and we have to move now." Then with a sideways look at her he grinned and said, "And knowing your father he'd probably just argue and we would never get out of here."

Despite herself Lisa let a small smile cross her face. That would be one argument that she would actually side with her dad on. She didn't know why she was being so compliant, but some of Officer Caldwell's fear and urgency had vastly unsettled her. They had almost reached the doors to exit the police station when Officer Caldwell gripped her shoulder and prevented her from going through the doors. _Now what? _She inwardly sighed as she looked up at him with questioning eyes.

"The shift change is at five." He stated while looking around the office. "We'll exit with the officers that are going home." And sure enough no sooner had he said this then about eight police officers started heading towards the door. Many greeted Officer Caldwell and they all started exiting the building.  
Officer Caldwell always made sure that Lisa was right in the middle of the procession while walking through the parking lot. Lisa didn't say anything; she just made sure that she was always by Officer Caldwell's side. She also noted that most of the officers were wearing sunglasses. It must be a police thing.

It was still completely dark outside. It probably wouldn't even start to get light for another hour or two. The storm had passed sometime while she was being interrogated, and the electricity had come back on shortly after she was attacked.

After Officer Caldwell said goodbye to the other officers he lead Lisa over to his car. It was a green Ford Taurus, a very common model, if he was trying to blend in then he was defiantly doing a good job at it.

He unlocked the doors and they both climbed in. Lisa pulled off the sunglasses and tossed them in the back seat. Before starting the car Officer Caldwell took his sunglasses off and hooked them onto the sun visor. They remained silent until he pulled out of the parking lot and onto the main road.

"So," Lisa said breaking the silence, "are you finally going to tell me exactly what's going on or are you going to continue keeping me in the dark?"

Keeping his eyes on the road he said, "After we brought you back to the station I had one of my men search your house and we found that your phone line was being watched. We also have good reason to believe that you are being tracked, which is why we have to leave quickly and can't stop by your house to pick up any supplies. If you are being watched, which I believe you are, then going home and packing a suitcase would look highly suspicious. You'll just have to pick up some supplies when we get to the apartment"

_I'm being followed again. I wonder if it's Jackson who's keeping tabs on me. But why would he be watching me, what does he want from me? Is it just revenge, or is it something more. _Then she remembered that she still had absolutely no idea where she was going.

"And where exactly is the apartment?" Lisa asked.

"It's in Atlanta, Georgia. I figured it was far enough but close enough at the same time." _Well that makes sense_. Lisa thought sarcastically. She decided then to ask a question that had been haunting her for some time.

"Why do you care so much about what happens to me?" She quietly asked. He didn't answer at first; he drove on in silence for a few minutes before finally speaking.

"About twelve years ago my wife and daughter went to the supermarket to pick up some groceries, several men with masks on entered the store. We think that they were either on drugs or drunk. They all had guns. They robbed the store and killed everyone inside." Then he turned to look at Lisa with eyes glistening but no tears falling. "My daughter would have been about your age right now. You remind me of her. I would never want a father to go through what I had to go through."

Lisa felt her eyes start to water up and felt the familiar sensation of her heart tightening. _That's so awful. Poor man_. Reaching out Lisa put a hand on Officer Caldwell's shoulder.

"Officer Caldwell, thank you… for helping me." She whispered.

Turning to face her again Officer Caldwell managed a small smile and responded, "Please call me Jim."

They smiled at each other for a moment and then without warning Lisa let out on extremely loud yawn. She flushed slightly and Jim chuckled.

"Why don't you get some rest, we have a long drive ahead of us."

Lisa leaned back in her chair, and before she knew it she entered into a dreamless sleep.

Jim drove straight through the rest of the day only stopping to refill the gas occasionally. Sometimes they would talk and other times they would merely sit in silence each submerged in their own thoughts.

Late that night they arrived at the apartment complex, which was set in the heart of Atlanta. There was a grocery store just down the street and a Christensen's clothing store about a block down. Pulling into the parking lot Lisa noted that it was a lot larger then she thought it would be. There were five rows of very nice looking apartments. Each apartment was two stories and painted a light blue.

Throwing the car door open Lisa grabbed her purse of off the floor, hopped out of the car, and stretched. Taking a deep breath of the night air she let the gentle breeze ruffle her hair. _Maybe being here won't be so bad after all. _

She joined Jim and the two of them walked through the well-lit parking lot towards the office. Stepping into the warm cozy office Lisa saw a man sitting behind a desk. He was a slightly plump man who appeared to be in his mid sixties. He had white hair, which was balding in several spots.

"Jim! Hey, long time no see!" The man exclaimed while getting up and walking around the desk.

"Hey, Greg it's been awhile." Jim said as the two men embraced. Afterwards they both turned to Lisa and Jim said, "This is the girl that I told you about over the phone."

Extending his had towards Lisa she shock it and introduced herself. "Hi, I'm Lisa Reisert. It's a pleasure to meet you."

"The pleasure is all mine Lisa, and you can call me Greg. So how about we go and take a look at your home for the next little while?" He kindly asked. Lisa immediately liked Greg. He made her feel so at home and at ease.

Lisa smiled and then started digging around in her purse. _Where is my blasted credit card, surely he'll want me to pay for the apartment in advance_. A warm hand covered hers halting her search. Startled Lisa looked up at Greg. Shaking his head he said, "I reckon you've been through enough. Don't worry about paying; any friend of Jim's is a friend of mine. The only thing that you owe me is to keep yourself safe." He said with a wink.

Lisa was touched. She didn't know what to say, so she said the only thing that she could think of. "Thank you." She whispered.

Greg nodded back at her and the three of them made their way towards Lisa's apartment; she was going to be staying in apartment 33. Pulling out a key Greg unlocked the door and allowed Lisa and Jim to enter with him following behind. Greg walked over and quickly switched on some lights. Lisa was then able to see that the door opened up into an extremely spacious living room. Lisa was about to go explore the apartment when Jim's voice stopped her.

"Lisa," he started, "I have to leave you now. I need to get back to Miami and start with the investigation. You'll be in good hands; Greg will take care of you. Oh, and don't call your father. He's lines might be tapped. I told Adam to tell your father not to call your cell. If you want me to pass a message on to him then call my cell."

Lisa nodded glumly. She couldn't talk to her father, and Jim was leaving. She suddenly felt very alone and afraid. The calm that she had felt when she first arrived quickly left her.

Jim looked extremely uncomfortable as he stepped towards her and then awkwardly pat her on the shoulder and told her to take care of herself. Then he left. Greg threw a sympathetic look at Lisa.

"So how about I give you a grand tour of the apartment?" Greg asked with a smile. Lisa started to feel slightly better as he proceeded to show her the house.

There was a rather large living room as she had noticed before, with a television set, couch, and recliner. The living room also connected with the kitchen, and there was a small bathroom downstairs next to the broom closet.

Lisa followed Greg up the narrow stairs to the second level of her apartment. The top level consisted of a bedroom and large bathroom. The king sized bed looked extremely enticing to Lisa's weary body.

After the grand tour of her apartment Greg took Lisa shopping for food, a few pairs of cloths, and other odds and ends. They stopped and picked up a pizza on the way back to her apartment and she and Greg and ate their dinner in her apartment while chatting about this and that. Around ten o'clock Greg left to go back to his apartment and told her to call if she needed anything. As soon as he left Lisa crashed on the king size bed and was out until morning.

Over the next three days Lisa started getting into the swing of things. She would usually wake up at about nine, take a shower and then get ready for the day. After getting ready she would make herself brunch and watch day time t.v. for about an hour. Once she had finished her daily dosage of soap operas Lisa would head down to Greg's office and play a few games of cards with him and just chat.

Greg called all the time to check up on her. Just like her father had done he would usually call her at random hours during the night and day just to make sure that she was okay. Jim also frequently called to check up on her and pass messages on from her father.

After she had finished playing cards with Greg she would usually go window shopping or to the library. Of course she always had her cell phone and pepper spray on her, and would always be in a very public place.

In order to go out she had to promise to call Greg every half an hour, which was a bit inconvenient but livable. She also had to be back an hour and a half before it got dark.

Once she was finished in town she would go back to her apartment pour herself some coffee and watch t.v. After she finished with her coffee she would always brush her teeth. (It was just one of those neurotic habits that she had, she hated the feeling of not having a clean mouth and teeth.) She would usually then pour into bed around midnight. All in all it was a pretty boring schedule, half of it consisted of just watching television.

On the third day of her stay after playing a few games of poker with Greg, which she lost, she went to the mall then afterwards decided to go to the library for a bit. Lisa started reading Pride and Prejudice and completely lost track of time. (Greg had been quite upset when she had called him and told him that she was still at the library.)

Lisa pulled into the apartment parking lot just before it started getting dark. She went into the office to give Greg back the keys to his Jeep and bid him goodnight.

Finally getting back to her apartment she tossed her keys down on the kitchen counter and proceeded to maker her nightly cup of coffee. _How long am I going to have to keep up this boring schedule? _She asked herself.

After fixing herself a cup of coffee she walked back into the living room, grabbed and the remote, and turned on the t.v. She flipped channels for a few minutes before finally settling on a re-run of ER.

During a commercial break Lisa climbed up the stairs into the main bathroom to brush her teeth, as usual.

She opened up the drawn to grab her toothbrush but stopped dead in her tracks as her hand grasped unfamiliar objects. Looking down Lisa screamed.

The entire drawer was filled with the exact same Frankenstein pens that she had rammed into Jackson's throat. Covering her mouth and shaking her head she started to back out of the bathroom when she suddenly heard a creak from the stairs.

It was then that unimaginable fear clutched at her heart, and she knew without a doubt that Jackson Rippner was still in her apartment.

A/N: Sorry about taking awhile to update. I've had a really bad cold and didn't think that it would be the best idea if I tried to write while hyped up on cold medicine. Anyways I hope that you all liked this chapter. Please review, I love getting feed back. Lena


	4. Darkness

**If at first you don't succeed... **

Disclaimer: I do not own Red Eye or anything affiliated with Red Eye.

A/N: Wow it has been a long time since I've updated. I blame college finals : ) Thanks to all of you who reviewed my last chapter and to all of you who read it. Well here it is, enjoy!

**Darkness**

**Thumpthumpthump** was the sound of Lisa's heart as it beat erratically. _He's here he's here. Why didn't I take my cell phone with me?_ Lisa began to fervently search for a weapon of some sort. _My scissors!_ Lisa threw open the drawer and let out a small yelp. The scissors were gone. Along with her razor, nail clippers, and any other object that was remotely sharp or that could be used as a weapon.

Anxiety clutched at her heart and she threw her hands over her mouth to try and quite the petrified scream that was bubbling in her throat. Silent tears began to stream down her face. _Where is he!_ She thought panicking. Straining her ears for any sound other then the television she heard the sound of yet another stair creaking. If at all possible her heart speed up even more. If Jackson didn't hurry then he may be too late to kill her, her own heart would take care of that.

Then everything went dark and the soft sound of the television was suddenly quite. _Oh no, no, no, no_. Biting back a sob she tried to keep the panic that was trying to take over at bay. _Think Lisa think!_ On a spur of the moment thought she grabbed one of the Frankenstein pens and stuck it in the front pocket of her levis. It wasn't much of a weapon, but it was all she had. Lisa's tears stopped and she let a smile cross her lips. How ironic would it be if the pen that he planted in her apartment to bring about her downfall would be his own.

With adrenalin pumping in her veins Lisa whipped her sweaty palms against the side of her Levis. Hesitantly she started across the bathroom and edged her way towards her bedroom. She could see next to nothing in this darkness and all she could hear was a thudding sound, she wasn't sure if it was the sound of the stairs creaking or the frantic beating of her heart.

While crossing the bathroom she heard the distinct sound of footsteps that weren't her own. It was strange, she felt frightened but at the same time she felt slightly tired. Her eyes began to blur making it even harder to see in this endless darkness. Shaking her head to try and clear the fogginess she steeped over the threshold of the bathroom into the bedroom.

Lisa's heart began beating rapidly as her blurry eyes fanatically searched through the darkness of the room to try and catch any sign of movement. There were no more creaking of the floorboards or footsteps, only deadly silence.

Stepping on the tips of her toes so as not to make any sound she began to slowly make her way to the bedroom door. Fighting to keep her eyes open she continued feeling her way towards the door. _Please let him have gone away._ But she knew he hadn't. He was hiding somewhere, just waiting, waiting for her.

Finally she had reached the door, but a sudden wave of dizziness overcame her and Lisa had to grasp at the wall just to keep in an upright position. _What's wrong with me? _Fighting to subside the dizziness she blinked a few times to clear her vision. _I have to get out of here!_

Keeping close to the wall she was suddenly grabbed from behind.

Screaming loudly Lisa began to thrash and wriggle her way out of his arms. This only resulted in him tightening his arms around her waist and pinning her arms to her side.

"Tsk tsk." Jackson chided without even the slightest rasp in his voice. "I'm disappointed Lise. Don't you know that running away never solves your problems?"

His voice sent chills up Lisa's spine. Fighting her dizziness she weakly struggled against him, but it was no use. He had her pinned solidly against his hard chest.

"Calm down Lise. Stop struggling." He commanded and tightened his grip on her waist even more causing her to cry out in pain.

_I have to get out of here! I just need to catch him of guard like I did last time._ A plan began forming its way in her foggy head.

"Why are you doing this?" Lisa managed to choke out. Jackson let out a humorless chuckle, which Lisa could feel vibrate in his chest.

"Still asking questi..."

Then she struck. With all her remaining strength she threw her head back and struck him squarely in the jaw. He immediately released her and she began stumbling out the bedroom door with heart pounding madly and vision blurry. Lisa heard Jackson let out a snarl behind her, and turned just in time to see Jackson lunge himself at her. Instinctively she began stepping backwards to try and avoid the unavoidable collision, which brought her to the edge of the top stair.

As Jackson's body crashed into hers Lisa lost the little balance that she had and they both began tumbling down the stairs. At one point of their graceful decent Lisa's head slammed into the bottom of the railing, causing her to see blurry stars, and then she continued falling. Finally the stairs stopped and with a loud "Omf" the air was knocked out of her as she landed on top of Jackson.

They both remained stationary starring into each other's eyes and trying to regain their bearings, and their breath. Then with a burst of renewed energy Lisa shoved herself off of Jackson and started for the door. She had only taken about a step when Jackson flipped over, grabbed her left ankle, and pulling her foot out from under her. With a scream Lisa landed hard on the linoleum floor. She didn't know how much more abuse her poor head could take.

Jackson's grip tightened on her ankle and he began pulling her towards himself. Lisa kicked out with her right foot and smiled as her foot connected with Jackson's head.

Jackson let out a curse as Lisa yanked her ankle away from him and once again started for the door, but stopped right before the door as a wave of dizziness with renewed strength washed over her. She could barely keep her eyes open. She was just so tired. When Jackson spun her around and slammed her against the door she didn't even fight.

Lisa let out a muffled cry as heard connected with the hard wooden door. With his body pinning Lisa to the door Jackson brought his hand up and curled it around Lisa's throat. Through her hazy eyes she was able to see two piercing blue eyes glaring into her own. _Please just let this all be over. I just want to sleep. _Just as she was thinking this body began to go limp.

The only reason Lisa was still standing up was because Jackson's body was pressed against hers trapping her between him and the door. Jackson's intense blue eyes bore into hers. Then smirking he cocked his head to the side and at the he loosened his grip on her throat.

"Oh, feeling dizzy." He asked with mock concern.

_What? How... how did he know._ Lisa's body was becoming weaker by the second. Jackson shifted his position and wrapped his arms around her sore waist to keep her upright and pulled her closer to him. In the back of her mind she knew that she should be trying to get away but she was just so dizzy and tired.

Lisa leaned into Jackson's muscled body and let her head loll onto his shoulder, and he in turn tightened his embrace and pulled her closer. Eyes beginning to flutter shut she managed to get out one more question.

"How did you know... that I'm tired and dizzy?" She asked softly.

"Did you enjoy your cup of coffee?" He responded as if they were simply discussing the weather and hadn't just been fighting tooth and nail.

The hypnotic movement of his body as he breathed was extremely calming making it even harder for her to stay conscious.

"Coffee?" Was all she was able to utter. He was so warm and the smell of his cologne was so nice, and she was so tired. She felt Jackson laugh at her muddled question.

"Yes Lise, coffee. It's what you have every night at almost the exact same time, and then you go upstairs to brush your teeth. You know, it's amazing that you've been here only a few days and already you've formed a daily routine. Routine's are dangerous Lise, they make you predictable." Jackson stated as he began stroking her hair while she became less and less conscious.

Right before the darkness engulfed her in the back of her hazy mind she finally understood what had happened.  
He had drugged her coffee mix.

Lisa's body went completely limp and with one swift motion Jackson picked her up and carried her to the couch. After depositing her on the couch Jackson went to the broom closet and picked up a black duffle bag that he had placed there earlier.

Taking the steps two at a time he returned to Lisa's bedroom and began rummaging around through her drawers,; pulling out articles of clothing and hastily shoving the clothing in the duffle bag. Jackson then went into the bathroom and dumped all of the Frankenstein pens into the bag. He couldn't leave anything suspicious, and twenty some odd novelty pens might look slightly suspicious.

After emptying the drawer of pens he grabbed a few essentials, soap, shampoo, hairbrush, etc. and placed them in the bag. Quickly scanning the room for anything he missed Jackson returned downstairs to where Lisa was.

Pulling out his cell phone he quickly dialed a familiar number.

"She's out, let's get started." And with that he flipped the phone shut, grabbed the duffle bag and Lisa's purse then headed for the door.

After depositing the bags into his 2005 black Jetta Jackson returned to Lisa's apartment. Placing one arm under her knees and the other wrapped around her back he picked her up and made his way back to his car. To any onlookers it would appear as though a loving husband was gently carrying his one and only.

Placing Lisa in the passenger seat he reached over her unconscious form and began searching through the glove compartment. Finding the set of handcuffs he shut the glove compartment. Clamping one of the cuffs around Lisa's left wrist he then clamped the other cuff around the metal pole of the headrest.

Crossing to the driver's side he started the ignition and buckled Lisa in. Safety first. Pulling out of the parking lot he glanced at the office and saw Wilson talking with the manager about possibly renting an apartment. He'd call Wilson after he and Lisa had been on the road a bit. Glancing over at his captive he quickly assessed how badly she was hurt. There was a small gash on her head with some dried blood around it. She had plenty of bruises on her arms and he was sure was sore and bruised other places where he couldn't see.

His jaw was incredibly sore from where she had head butted him. Even though he was madder then hell at her for doing that he couldn't help but let a smirk cross his lips as he though of the irony of it all. He also had a small cut under his right eye where she had kicked him, and of course he was sore from that little tumble they took down the stairs.

Rolling down the window he decided it was time to call Wilson.

Lisa groaned as she began to regain consciousness. Her head started pounding and she was sore all over. _What could I have done to make myself sore?… Jackson._ Then it all came flooding back to her. No, no it had to have just been a dream. _Please let it have been a dream. __  
_  
Opening her eyes she found herself staring into icy blue ones.

A/N: Well I hope you all enjoyed this chapter. Reviews are always appreciated. : ) Lena


	5. Escape

1**If at first you don't succeed...**

Disclaimer: I don't own Red Eye or anything affiliated with Red Eye.

A/N: Hi everyone, thank you so much for all of your reviews! I decided that I should probably get another chapter up before college classes start again. sigh : ( I get to take math 1050 this semester, so much fun huh. Anywho here's the next chapter, I hope you all enjoy: ) Lena

**Escape**

"Welcome back to the world of the living." Greeted Jackson.

"I'd rather be in the world of the dead then sitting in this car with you." She retorted with venom evident in her voice.

"Ouch Lise, that hurts." He said placing a hand over his heart.

_Ha! Like he even has a heart._ Lisa suddenly became aware of a sharp pain shooting up her left arm. Glancing over she peered through the darkness and was able to identify the reason. He had handcuffed her to the headrest!_ That jerk, first he drugs me then handcuffs me to a freaking headrest! _Lisa began pulling her arm this way and that way to see how much leeway the handcuff would give her.

Upon hearing the clanking of metal Jackson tore his gaze from the road and peered through the darkness at Lisa. Even though it was dark she could swear she saw a large Cheshire grin spreadi across his face.

"Comfortable?" He asked innocently.

"No." She said while scowling.

"Good." He said happily and turned his attention back to the road.

They seemed to be on a pretty abandoned road with the occasional streetlight casting light into the otherwise dark car. While passing under one such streetlight Lisa took the short opportunity to look over at her captor.

He didn't look much different then he had before. He was sporting his usual black suit with a dark green shirt underneath, and his hair pushed behind his ears in its usual fashion. Even though she hated him with every fiber of her being she had to admit that he was extremely attractive. Even with the bruises that graced his face, courtesy of Lisa.

Taking his eyes off the road Jackson glanced over at Lisa only to find her starring back at him. Lisa quickly turned her gaze back to the road so that she was starring out of the front window. Her face began burning and knew that she was blushing profusely.

"See something you like Lise?" He asked teasingly and placed a hand on her knee.

Furiously she shoved his hand off her knee and was rewarded with a chuckle from Jackson.

She didn't know what scarred her more, when he was angry, or when he was flirting.

Taking a few calming breaths and urging the blush on her face to go away she decided to ask the million dollar question.

"Why are you doing this?" She whispered.

Turning to face her Jackson gave her his famous smirk and tilted his head to the side.

"Well, you know what they say, if at first you don't succeed try try again."

Lisa gaped at him in horror. _Oh no. Not again._

"Your going to kill Keefe and his family." She stated horrified.

"Bingo. I always knew you were a smart girl Lise."

The familiar anxiety that had accompanied her on that dreadful plane flight now rejoined her. _Why me, why can't he just leave me alone?_

"And what if I won't help you?" She asked defiantly.

"Oh I think you will." He replied confidently.

"And why would I do that?" She questioned.

"Because if you don't then those close to you will suffer." He stated mater of factly. Lisa's anger flared. _How dare he come back into my life and threaten my father, again. _She hated him! She hated him with every fiber of her being.

"Wait, don't tell me." she said sarcastically. "You have another one of your little guard dogs sitting outside of my dad's house while listening to smooth jazz and sharpening his knife. That's real original Jack."

Through the darkness she could see Jackson's face contort into rage as he quickly veered off to the side of the road and threw the car in park. Lisa tried to shrink back from him, but the handcuff wouldn't give her any leeway! Jackson grabbed her chin roughly and pulled her towards him until she was only inches from his face.

The darkness sent harsh shadows across his face, but his eyes sliced through the darkness. She could see the wild glint of uncontrolled rage swarming in his icy blue eyes. She trembled slightly as a horrific thought crept into her mind. She was alone in the dark with a very pissed of Jackson Rippner.

Her heart began thumping wildly in her chest as fear overwhelmed her.

" I wouldn't get so mouthy if I were you." He growled through clenched teeth. Lisa's nose started tingling and her eyes began burning._ I won't let him see me cry, I won't let him see me cry_. She chanted over and over in her mind while staring into his cruel eyes.

"Do you remember when I told you that if someone wanted to send a big brash message they would kill the whole family?" He asked cruelly.

Lisa didn't answer. Jackson's eyes blazed with anger at her act of defiance. Tightening his grip on her chin he shock her violently and yanked her closer. Lisa let out a small whimper, partly because of fear, and because the handcuff was now digging fiercely into her wrist.

"Do you?" He demanded.

"Yes." She whispered. Satisfied with her answer he continued.

"Regardless of how this operation turns out a big brash message will be sent. Either to Keef and his family, or to you and yours. My associates are keeping a very close eye on your mother, father, and Cynthia."

Lisa stared at him with horror as tears started coursing down her checks. She couldn't hold his gaze any more. She averted her eyes as sobs began wracking through her body. Why was this happening? Why couldn't she just live a normal life! _What am I going to do?_ The darkness suddenly seemed more oppressive then it had before. It was closing in on her pushing her down into the depths of despair.

Lisa jumped as she felt Jackson's light touch. He was brushing away her tears with his thumb. Dumbstruck all she was able to do was stare up at him with confusion written on her face.

"Suck it up Lise, we've got a long road ahead of us."

And with that he released her as suddenly as he had grabbed her and pulled back onto the road.

Lisa turned to look out at the dark trees passing by, and to keep Jackson from seeing her cry.

She knew she couldn't let either brash message be sent. She would never let any harm come to her family, but at the same time she couldn't live with herself if she were responsible for the Keefe's death. _Relax Lisa, just relax, you've beaten him once before, and you can do it again, you just have to stay calm._

Lisa started breathing deeply. Inhaling through the nose and exhaling through the mouth, just like she had learned in the stress management courses that she had taken. Glancing down at her lap she slowly unclenched her hands. She hadn't even noticed that she had clenched them in the first place.

Looking over at the dashboard she realized that not too much time had passed.. It was only 12:15 a.m. It seemed like ages ago since she had fought Jackson in her apartment. She was still terribly sore and her head was throbbing like mad.

Sneaking a look over at Jackson her spirits were lifted slightly. He was in just as bad of a condition as she was. One of the streetlights showed that he had two bruises on his face. One where she had head butted him and another where she had kicked him. Jim and Greg would be so proud of her. Then a thought struck her. _Greg!_ He would know that she was missing. He and Jim would come looking for her.

Suddenly the darkness didn't seem so oppressive as that ray of light enveloped her. She wasn't alone, Greg would be calling her soon, and when she didn't answer he would know that something was wrong. Lisa jumped slightly as Jackson's deep voice interrupted her thoughts.

"I'm going to need you to make a phone call Lise." He said. "I need you to call Greg and convince him that you left of your own accord and not to worry."

With that sentence her hopes crashed around her and the darkness and anxiety once again consumed her.

"Well, he won't believe me." She stammered.

"You better make him believe you." He threatened.

As if on cue Lisa's cell phone went off. _He must have gabbed my purse._ Her heart tightened with anxiety and helplessness as Jackson rummaged through the backseat with one hand while driving with the other. He let out a curse as Lisa's purse fell off the backseat and some of the contents tumbled to the floor. Lisa gave a slight start as something hit her foot. Peering down into the darkness she was able to make out the faint shape of her peeper spray.

"Here." Jackson said and handed her the ringing cell phone.

Grudgingly Lisa accepted the cell phone and took several quick breaths to try and push down the nausea. Flipping open the cell phone she slowly brought it up to her ear.

"Hello." She said softly

"Lisa, it's Greg. Are you alright? I went to your apartment and you didn't answer." He said with concern evident in his voice.

_No of course I'm not alright, help me!_ Lisa silently pleaded. She could easily yell into the phone that she had been kidnaped. In fact she was on the verge of doing so when as if reading her mind Jackson reached out and grabbed her arm in a warning gesture.

"Lisa? Lisa are you there?" Greg asked.

Jackson's blue eyes bore into hers as his grip tightened.

"Yeah, I'm here. I'm fine Greg." She managed to chock out in a semi normal voice. "Listen, I've left. I'm tired of staying in hiding and letting that jackass ruin my life. I still have sometime off of work and I've always wanted to go on a road trip, and well here's my chance. And I'll always be on the go so it will be hard for anyone to track me."

Jackson's grip loosened slightly on her arm.

"Lisa, this is stupid, come back right..." Greg began angrily.

"Greg." Lisa interrupted. "You can't talk me out of this. It's something that I have to do. Thank you so much for all you've done for me, and please thank Jim for me also. Goodbye."

And with that she flipped the phone shut just as Greg began to protest again.

Jackson released her arm and gently took the cell phone from Lisa's trembling hand and placed it in his coat pocket. She was alone, she was completely alone.

"Good job Lise." Jackson congratulated. "Very believable, although I think calling me names was a bit over the top." He scolded.

"Really?" Lisa questioned anger in her voice. "Because I think it was right on."

Through the darkness she could just see Jackson's grip on the steering wheel tighten as he made his comeback.

"Having deja vu yet? I mean the phone call, pathetic crying, being tossed around a bit, and being knocked out." He continued ruthlessly while turning to face her. "And the fact that you are completely trapped and at my mercy."

Anger flashed within her. _His mercy! _She was at noone's mercy. She would show him. An idea struck her then. It was a bit of a stretch, but she could pull it off.

Groaning slightly Lisa clutched her stomach with her uncuffed hand and doubled over as much as she could until the handcuff was pulled taunt.

"Pull over Jackson, I'm going to be sick." She mumbled.

"Nice try Lise." He replied without breaking.

"I'm serious Jackson." She said and uncurled her right arm from her stomach and slowly reached down and grabbed the pepper spray. Jackson of course didn't notice, one because it was dark, and two her body blocked his view of her hand. "Unless you want me to get sick all over your

nice new car then you will pull over now!"

And surprisingly he did. _Men and their cars_ she thought rolling her eyes. Jackson parked the car off the side of the road, and while he was heading towards the

passenger door Lisa placed the small pepper spray container in her back pocket.

Throwing the door open Jackson looked down at Lisa while grasping around in his pocket until finding the small handcuff key. Lisa's heart speed up. She had to get away. If he caught her before she was able to make the call then she didn't know what would happen.

Jackson leaned over her while he began unlocking the handcuff. Lisa prayed that the erratic beating of her heart wouldn't giver her away. His face was mere centimeters from hers as he struggled to get the handcuff off. Each time he exhaled his warm breath would brush against her face, and she could once again smell the faint scent of his cologne.

**Click!** The handcuff had finally come undone. Heart still thumping wildly she waited for Jackson to move so that she could get out, but he didn't. He just stood there leaning over her and starring at her.

She wanted to shove him away or turn her gaze to a different direction, but she couldn't. She was like a deer caught in headlights. Her breath caught in her throat as he gently tangled his fingers in her hair and leaned his forehead against hers._ What's he doing? What's going on._

"I'm warning you," he said in a low-dangerous voice. "Not to try anything cute."

"I won't." She lied.

Apparently Jackson believed the lie because he suddenly pulled back out of the car, grabbed her by the elbow, and pulled her out as well. _Now's my chance._

"Well Lise," Jackson began. Reaching into her back pocket Lisa curled her hand around the pepper spray. "You better..."

And then she struck. Jackson let out a scream of pain as the pepper spray hit him directly in the eyes. Lisa lunged forward grabbing her cell phone and his out of his coat pocket, pushed him over, and then ran like hell.

Jackson had pulled over next to a deserted meadow, which Lisa was currently tearing through. She had to call Jim and tell him to get her parents and Cynthia out of there. She now knew that Jackson would eventually catch her, but as long as her family and the Keef's were safe, that was all that mattered.

She could hear the terrifying sound of him crashing through the tall grass behind her. Her heart thudded madly in her chest and her breath was coming in short gasps. He was closing in on her in the darkness, like a lion about to pounce on a poor innocent gazelle.

She had to get a hold of Jim! Lisa flipped her phone open and began punching in Jim's number while trying to run . She didn't see the branch.

The next thing she knew she was tumbling towards the ground. The pepper spray rolled off into the distance, and the two cell phones took flight and landed a few yards ahead of her.

Lisa picked herself up as fear clutched her heart and the hairs on the back of her neck began to prickle. _He's close._ Lisa started towards the cell phones. The next thing she knew she was pushed from behind and landed face first on the damp ground. Rolling to the side to avoid his grasp she attempted to get up again but a swift kick in the stomach sent her crashing back down.

Bending down Jackson flipped Lisa onto her back and straddled her, knees digging into her already sore hips. With one hand he grabbed both of hers and pinned them over her head. Something was pushing hard into her left hip, and it wasn't Jackson's knee. It was the pen! How could she have forgotten. If only she could reach it.

Lisa began struggling, twisting this way and that. Her struggles only resulted in Jackson digging his knees in deeper and holding on tighter to her wrists. He appeared to have also noticed that his knee was also digging into something other then Lisa's hip bone. With his free hand he slid his hand in her pocket and retrieved the pen.

_Oh no._ Jackson glared daggers at her through his red puffy eyes while speaking through clenched teeth.

"A pen. How quaint, but Lisa, that's not very original." He seethed, throwing her own words back at her.

Anger once again flared in her. Anger at him tossing her words back at her, anger at him taking away her every form of escape, and anger at him for ruining her life.

"Well it worked last time didn't it." She spat.

She was rewarded with a slap across the face, reminding her who was in control.

"You really like gambling with your families life don't you!" He yelled. "It just takes one phone call. Do you want me to call my associate outside of your mother's house?"

Lisa didn't answer as tears began streaming down her face.

"Do you?" He insisted.

"No." She sobbed.

And as fast as he had pinned her to the ground he jumped up and yanked her up with him. Once on solid ground he pulled her extremely close.

"Then never EVER try something like that again."He growled in her ear, "because next time I won't hesitate to make a call, then you'll have one less person to buy a Christmas present for."

Before Lisa could respond Jackson's head suddenly came crashing into hers.

And Lisa was once again enveloped in darkness

A/N: Well there you have it, hope you liked it! I'm so excited, Red Eye come out in two days. Yyyyyyyeeeeeaaaaa! If there are any typos I apologize. I wasn't able to have my friend proof read the story so yeah. Anyways once again I hope ya'all liked it. : )


	6. Isolated

** If at first you don't succeed...**

Disclaimer: I do not own Red Eye or anything affiliated with Red Eye. I also do not own the song "Do you want to" by France Ferdinand.

A/N: Hey everyone here is the latest chapter. Sorry about the long wait. Between school, work, and my grandfather passing away things have been pretty hectic.** Warning! I did not edit this chapter as much as I usually do, but I really wanted to get this chapter out. So I apologize in advance for grammatical errors. Anyways, I hope you guys like it. : )**

**Lena**

** Isolated**

_Oh, my poor head. _Lisa inwardly groaned as she began to regain consciousness. Instinctively she tried to bring a hand up to her sore head, but found that both arms were immovable! Peering up through the darkness she was very dismayed to find that both arms had been handcuffed around the headrest. Her whole body was throbbing with pain, and it hurt to breath. _Jackson probably bruised a rib with his little love tap._ She angrily thought. Her head kept pounding. It almost felt as though her head was pounding to a certain rhythm.

It took Lisa several moments to realize that the constant pounding wasn't in fact her head, but music. Glancing over at Jackson she saw that he was apparently lost in deep thought and was starring straight forward. Lisa tried not to alert Jackson to the fact that she had awoken. Silently she leaned back against the seat, closed her eyes, and listened to the music.

"When I woke up tonight I said I'm

Going to make somebody love me

I'm going to make somebody love me

Now I know

Now I know

Now I know

That it's you

You're lucky lucky you're so lucky."

Lisa couldn't help letting a cold smile grace her face. The irony of it all was almost funny. Here she was stuck in a car, in the middle of nowhere, with a man who on some level cared for her (In a sick twisted way of course.). And to top it all of the song is about how lucky this girl is. Yup, she was definitely lucky. Rage began boiling inside her. She was exhausted, bruised, sore, and tiered of Jackson Rippner controlling her life. Deciding to quit the facade of being asleep she opened her eyes and glared at her tormenter.

"What no jazz?' She snidely asked..

Lisa's anger was slightly appeased when she saw Jackson jump at the sound of her voice.

"Oh. I'm sorry Jack, I didn't mean to scare you." She said in a sickly sweet voice. Even in the darkness Lisa could see him glaring at her. She smile triumphantly at him, because she, had caught the great Jackson Rippner of guard.

"Awake already Lise?" he quickly snapped. "Pity, you're so much easier to get along with when you're out cold."

Angrily he lashed out and struck the off button on the radio. Apparently she wasn't the only tired and irritated one in the car, but that wouldn't stop her from making a comeback.

"And you're easier to get along with when you have a pen shoved in your throat, a high heel stuck in your leg, and several gunshot wounds." She shot back.

The illuminated dashboard provided Lisa with enough light to see Jackson's hands tighten on the steering wheel and to see his jaw tighten. Lisa knew that she shouldn't bait him, but he infuriated her more then any human on the entire planet. Unconsciously her body tensed in preparation for a physical assault by an irate Jackson Rippner, only the assault never came. Instead he turned his attention back to the road.

"Sticks and stones Lise." Was all he replied with.

Turning her attention back to the side of the road Lisa squinted into the darkness and tried to read the sign announcing how far away nearby towns were, but couldn't make out the words. Sighing in frustration she irritably glanced at the clock to find that it was only one-thirty ._Ugh, this is the night that never ends! _

Stealing a glance at Jackson she was able to see that his eyes were still slightly puffy and red, but not nearly as bad as she would've hoped. In the darkness and silence her thoughts began to wonder while Lisa studied Jackson. How was it that he had found her? Jim wasn't careless, he was extremely cautious while taking her to Georgia.

"How did you find me?" She finally inquired.

Jackson turned his gaze to Lisa and gave her his trademark smirk.

"My organization has people every where Lise. Lawyers, doctors, police officers." He replied smugly.

Before she could question him further Jackson's cell phone went off, startling them both.

"Yeah...that's okay...not till Friday...yeah I know where it is...he's there already?..Good...Will do." **Click**

"Well Lise," Jackson began while placing the phone back in his pocket. "Looks like there's been a change of plans."

"What do you mean a change of plans?" She asked wearily.

"Keefe was suppose to arrive at the Lux on Wednesday, but because of complications won't arrive until Friday"He said, then turning to face Lisa he said, "So, we get to spend three whole days together. I don't know about you, but I just can't wait."He finished while smiling coldly.

"Forgive me for not jumping for joy, but I seem to be a bit tied up at the moment.." She sarcastically responded. "And what exactly am I suppose to do this time? Make a phone call, change a room, the usual?"

"Tsk tsk," He chided. "Patience is a virtue."

Exhaling in frustration Lisa turned from Jackson and resumed starring out into the dark void. _What's wrong with him? Usually if I make any comment that is slightly sarcastic he throws me against a wall or nearly strangles me. _Stealing another look at him Lisa noticed how fatigued he looked. _Good. _She thought and returned to window.

The next hour was spent in silence. Lisa had almost drifted into an uncomfortable sleep when she was suddenly thrown against the passenger door as Jackson made a sharp left turn. She could hear the loose gravel crunching beneath the Jetta's tires as they started down a narrow and deserted road.

There were no streetlights on this road that stretched out into the black abyss. Jackson and Lisa were thrown into almost complete darkness until Jackson turned the brights on and reduced his speed. Jackson took another sharp left and the many trees blocked Lisa's view of the main road with its comforting street lights.

_What's going on? Where's he taking me?_ Lisa's feeling of isolation and horror grew with every turn they took. She tried to keep track of all the different turns they took, but it was impossible to keep track. They took so many turns Lisa felt like they were in a labyrinth. _I'm completely alone in the middle of nowhere with Jackson Rippner. _Lisa couldn't repress the shudder that swept through her body at that thought.

"Where are we going?" She finally managed to ask.

"Someplace where my company takes people who need to disappear." He stated emotionlessly.

Her heart skipped a beat as realization came crashing down on her. He didn't want her for the assassination. He wanted to kill her. Make her disappear.

Lisa knew it was futile to struggle, but pure panic began to over take her. She began to wriggle her wrists this way and that trying to get her hands free of the handcuffs.

"So you want to make me disappear?" She spat venomously while glaring over at Jackson and fighting with the handcuffs.

Lisa was thrown forward as Jackson suddenly slammed on the brakes and put the car in park.

Lisa tried to shrink back from him but with both hands chained to the headrest she was basically immobile. _What's he doing? _She panicky asked herself.

Unbuckling his seatbelt Jackson leaned over and gently took her chin in his hand. He gazed intently into her eyes as she glared up into his.

"Lisa," He began. "I'm not taking you here to kill you. We just need a place to stay until Friday."

"Yeah?" She asked icily."Why should I believe you? You drugged my coffee, assaulted me in my house, kicked me in the ribs, and head butted me. So what would hold you back from killing me?" She asked while continuing to glare into Jackson's confused eyes.

"You really think I would kill you?" He said slightly disbelieving. " Lisa, the only time I've been violent towards you is when you do something to provoke me. And yes I consider being sprayed in the eyes with peeper spray provocation."

"So then we were just playing a friendly game when you tried to kill me with a knife in my father's house! Wait don't tell me, you were going to throw down your knife and say tag you're it." She shot back sarcastically.

Jackson's grip tightened slightly as he brought his face closer to Lisa's.

"I'll admit that I was a bit...illogical when I came after you." He stated evenly. "But I wouldn't have killed you. I would never kill you Lise. Sure I may have to ruff you up every now and then, but I'll never kill you."

"Oh, and why's that?" She asked skeptically.

"Isn't it obvious?" He asked while lowering his gaze down her form.

Lisa's heart fluttered in her chest. She had a sneaky suspicion where this was going and didn't like it one little bit. So, she replied with the only answer she could think to give.

"No." Was her shaky reply.

Giving Lisa his famous smirk he lightly brushed his fingertips against her lips. Lisa instinctively tried to pull back, but Jackson had already released her and was putting the car in drive.

"Well, let's continue on our way shall we." He said as if nothing had just transpired.

Lisa quickly turned away from Jackson and tried to disappear into the darkness. _What just happened?_ She asked herself in disbelief. _How can he act like that towards me after all that he's put me through? How could he possibly have those kind of... feelings towards me?And how would those feelings be obvious? When men threaten to kill my family, throw me against a wall, strangle me, drug me, and head butt me I usually don't take it as a sign of affection._

After mulling over these thought Lisa finally came to the conclusion that in some demented way Jackson actually cared for her, but only as long as he was in control and she did what he said. On the plane he had told her that he followed her for eight weeks, much longer then necessary. He was obsessive and a control freak.

This new insight made the situation she was in much more complicated, and dangerous. "When we get out of this, I may have to steal you." His words rung in her head.

She was startled out of her thoughts by the car suddenly stopping. Glancing over at Jackson for an answer he motioned out of the window.

"Here we are, home sweet home." He said happily.

It suddenly became extremely light and Lisa had to close her eyes against the blinding light. Hesitantly she reopened her eyes to find herself staring up at a three story house. Squinting against the light Lisa was able to see a figure on the porch starring down at them.

Walking around to her side of the car Jackson threw her door and appeared by her side.

"Now Lise," He said as if talking to a child. "I'm going to unhandcuff you, and you're not going to fight me. Because if you do, I won't hesitate to make a phone call."

Lisa nodded in understanding and he began busying himself with undoing the locks.

Once Jackson had uncuffed her Lisa's hands instinctively began rubbing her sore wrists. Grabbing her by the elbow Jackson pulled her out of the car and began leading her towards the house and unknown person standing on the porch. A million thoughts and fears were racing though her mind. Did Jackson mean it? Would he really not kill her? And why did they have to hide out here of all places? How was she going to get out of this mess?

The gravel crunched beneath their feet as they continued up the long pathway to the house. Even if Lisa could somehow manage to escape for the house she would have a long way to run before reaching the car or groove of trees. Remnants of tree stumps confirmed her suspicion that all vegetation had purposefully been removed from around the house for that very purpose.

The house looked like any old house, except for the lack of windows. Jackson keep a firm grip on her arm the entire way. Neither of them spoke.

Walking up the steps Lisa found herself starring up at a familiar face. It was the fake EMT!

Lisa gasped in shock and would have bolted for the car if not for Jackson's ever present grip on her arm.  
"Hello Jason." Jackson greeted.

"Hi Mr. Rippner. I already checked the perimeter, there's nothing out of the ordinary. I also checked the security system to make sure that nothing was faulty, everything checked out." Jason said giddily.

_Is this guy for real_? _What a suck up, _Lisa couldn't help thinking.

"Very good." Jackson nodded in approval.

Jason grinned madly at Jackson's approval. If he were a dog Lisa had no doubt that he would be wagging his tail triumphantly.

"Mr. Rippner, you look exhausted." He said stating the obvious. "Why don't you go get some rest." Then throwing a dark look at Lisa he said, "I can take care of her."

Anger blazed inside of her. Didn't he remember who won last time?

"Hey Jason, how's the nose?" She asked conversationally.

Jason's eyes flashed as he lunged for her. Lisa braced herself for impact, but Jackson quicky stepped in front of her and grabbed Jason around the throat.

"Now Jason," Jackson politely chided. "What did I say about playing nice?"

Jason was gasping for breath and trying desperately to relinquish Jackson's hold.

Jackson pulled Jason closer to himself; all the while he also keep a firm hold on Lisa.

"Jason, while we are here you are not to touch one hair on her head. Do you understand?" He asked through clenched teeth.

Jason vigorously nodded his head. Jackson hung on for a few more seconds then finally released him.

Lisa almost felt bad for Jason, almost. If she at any time had questions regarding Jackson's possessiveness, they had all just been answered. A new fear began to edge its way into her mind. Even if she did go through with his plan to assassinate the keefe's would he really let her go?

Jackson gave a sharp tug on her arm and she stumbled after him into the house with Jason at her back.

Once they were all inside Jason closed the door; and it was then that Lisa noticed the small keypad next to the door. Jason's fingers flew over the pad typing in a password so fast that Lisa wasn't able to catch any of it.

Jackson pulled on Lisa's arm and they started up the stairs. While passing Jason Jackson shifted his arm and placed it around her waist. To Jason it was a sign of possessiveness, but for Lisa it was a sign of dominance. Lisa tried vainly to wriggle her way out of his grasp. She was nobody's property.

"Let me go ...Mr Rippner" She said mockingly.

Jackson tilted his head to the side and smiled down at her as they continued to make their way up the stairs.

"Jason can be a bit..."

"Suck uppish?" Lisa inserted irritably.

"Yes, that word works." Jackson laughingly replied. " But I was training him to take over me. I was about to retire when I meet you."

Upon reaching the second floor landing Lisa stopped and stared questionably up at him.

"Remember when my phone rang on the plane and I told you it was work for the last time?"

Lisa hesitantly nodded

"Well, that was going to be my last assignment, but you screwed everything up, and now I'm in for the long haul." Jackson responded with an edge of anger.

"Oh, well now I feel terrible." She said in a voice that clearly said that she wasn't.

Jackson gave her a cold smile then shoved her up the first few steps.

"I'll save you some trouble." He said from behind her as they made their way up the third flight of stairs. "There's only one way out of this house and that's out the front door, and the few windows in the house are so thick that nothing you could do would break them."

Lisa didn't respond to his comment. All she wanted to do was lie down, she would think of an escape plan later. After all, she did have three days.

Upon reaching the third floor Jackson grabbed her arm and steered her down a long hallway. The walls were extremely bare. There we're no pictures of cute little decorations that Lisa was used to seeing in homes. Other then a few lights it was completely bare.

Jackson finally stopped them in front of one of the many rooms. Dragging her in after him Lisa quickly scanned the room. There was a twin bed on the right side of the wall, a closet, and a small bathroom to the left. There were no windows, a dim light bulb was the only source of light in the small room Other then that it was just like the hallway, completely bare.

"Now Lise, I'm going to be in the room right across from you with my door open. Even if you somehow miraculously manage to unlock the door, I will hear you." He said and tightened his hold on her arm for emphasis.

"And as you can see," he continued, "There is nothing in here that you could use as a possible weapon. So, for the sake of time and sanity how about you do what I say for once and just go to sleep."

Lisa's thoughts automatically went back to the horrific plane flight, but she was too tired to afraid or uncooperative. She just wanted to sleep.

Lisa nodded her head in compliance and Jackson gently brushed a hand affectionately through her hair and exited the room. Once he had closed the door Lisa hear the distinct sound of a lock being set in place.

Sluggishly Lisa made her way over to the bed and plopped down. She would think of an escape plan latter. Now she just needed to sleep. Closing her eyes she felt sleep begin to take over. But before sleep could completely take over she whispered one sentence to herself.

"I will escape."

A/N: Well I hope ya'll liked it. The song I used at thestart of this chapter totally reminded me of Jackson. What do you guys think? Anyways thanks for sticking with the story and being willing to over look all of my many grammatical errors. :)


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